How To Induce Labor
by SecondAlternateLieutenant
Summary: 10 ways to induce labor presented by Avatar Korra. This is... something else entirely.


If there was any woman on the planet less comfortable, Korra wanted to meet her and commiserate on their misfortune. Well, it wasn't _misfortune_ as the last few months had been interesting and life changing and beautiful all wrapped up into this insane adventure of life.

But now she was two days past her due date and feeling every minute of it. Not being able to walk without her ankles swelling was getting old. Walking everywhere was getting old. Sitting on the couch doing nothing because of the large obstruction on her abdomen was getting old. People cooing at her and touching her stomach without even asking was getting old. Her husband tapping his pen against the table was getting really old.

"Can you stop?" She snapped, feeling a slight pang of guilt when he jumped and looked instantly ashamed.

"Stop what?" Mako looked scared. Ugh.

"Tapping."

"Oh, I'm sorry; I didn't realize I was doing it." He winced. "Can I get you anything?"

"The baby, please." Korra muttered and leaned her head back. "Tea would be nice."

"Sure." Mako leapt up and started to pull together her favorite kind of tea that had dramatically changed since her pregnancy. Before she preferred it sweeter, but now she was leaning toward milk instead. "Here." He set the tray down on the coffee table and handed her the mug with a half smile. "Good?"

"Good." Korra allowed and rested the cup on her belly, not bothering to reach for the table. Mako thought it was weird when she used their baby as a shelf, but Korra was past caring right now. "Why won't he come?"

"He'll come when he's ready." Mako murmured and winced at her scowl. It was hard to tell what was going to infuriate her right now and what she'd be alright with. "The doctor gave us that list of things to try."

"Where did I put it?" Korra frowned, trying to remember where she'd thrown the pamphlet, not believing that her baby was capable of being so sadistic to stay inside her for _longer_ than necessary.

"I think you stuck it in the mail basket." Mako got up and moved for the flat, hand woven basket that her mother had sent them as a housewarming present from the South Pole when they'd married a little over a year ago. He dug through it for a few minutes while his wife sipped her tea on the couch, feeling slightly less cranky with the hot liquid in her system. "Got it." Mako brought it over and looked over the short list. "Ten things we can try."

"Let's do this." Korra sat up.

"First is sex."

"No, what's two." Korra determined and Mako rolled his eyes.

"Two is sex related." Mako got the hint to move on to three at the look in her eyes. "Alright, I'll just read the list. It's walking, acupuncture, acupressure, spicy food, castor oil, evening primrose oil, massage, or a bumpy car ride." He looked up at his wife who was looking thoughtful. "Should we go in order or…?"

"No." Korra shifted. "Spicy food first, it's almost dinner time, I'm hungry." She rubbed her stomach.

"Alright, want to go out or should I go pick something up?" Mako put the options out there.

"No, let me leave the house." Korra stood up walked for the bedroom as Mako's eyes followed how swollen she was.

This was going to be interesting.

**1. Spicy Food**

To share his pain and add to Korra's social hour, Mako had called both Bolin and Asami who agreed to come and occupy Korra for a few hours. Mako and Korra got to Narook's Seaweed Noodlery first and ordered four bowls of the spiciest dish on the menu.

"Oh wow." Bolin was fanning his face after his first bite. "This is spicy."

"Are you crying?" Mako laughed at his brother as he took a bite of his own plate. "Oh this is good though."

"It's good." Korra agreed, still a little annoyed, but being in public with her friends was lifting her mood considerably. "Asami?"

"I like it." Asami declared. "But it is pretty spicy." She had to sip her water.

"No seriously." Bolin was outright crying as he ate his bowl, Mako was laughing at his brother and Korra wasn't saying much at all.

"Is it doing anything?" Mako asked her as their bowls were taken away and seconds brought for the boys, water for both women.

"No." Korra sighed but gave him a half smile. "Being out of the apartment feels good though, so it's not a total bust."

"Well there's that." Mako smiled and kissed her cheek. He laced his fingers through hers as they got out of the restaurant and stood in the street.

"Ride back to your apartment?" Asami offered with a smile and Korra perked up.

"Wasn't that on the list?" She asked her husband. "A bumpy car ride? Find some rough roads." She ordered Asami and climbed into the back of her Satomobile with Mako, Bolin going for the passenger's seat.

**2. Bumpy Car Ride**

"Where are the worst roads, Officer?" Asami glanced in her rearview mirror to Mako who thought for a second.

"Down by the river, some of them didn't get repaired after the floods last spring." Mako determined and Asami went right for them. "Are you sure about this?" He asked his wife who nodded.

"I'm so sick of being pregnant." She shook her head. "I just want him out already."

"When's your due date?" Asami was frowning from the driver's seat. "I thought it was the thirteenth."

"It was the thirteenth." Korra sighed. "Two days ago." Her hands were rubbing over the fairly round bump under her shirt. It was a longer shirt; like a half dress and pants that her mother had created when her stubborn daughter refused to wear maternity dresses like the rest of the world gave in to.

"That's rough." Bolin tried to sympathize, but he received a glare and a curt,

"No uterus, no opinion."

"Here we are, ready?" Asami had slowed before going onto the rough, graded road.

"Ready." Korra slipped her hand into Mako's as Asami started over the rough bumps and ruts that made up the road.

It was the most uncomfortable experience in her life. Even if it was going to get her baby out, Korra never wanted to do it again. The Satomobile had literally shaken her so much she'd almost slipped off the seat, and would have with her lowered mobility if Mako hadn't caught her and pulled her back up.

"We're not doing that again." Mako looked a little panicked when he said it so Korra just nodded in agreement.

"Oh thank you." Bolin had sunk low in his seat, hands gripping onto it tightly as possible.

"I don't want to know what this road did to my car." Asami muttered and headed for Bolin's apartment, the closer of their three homes. When she pulled up, Korra reached for the door.

"Where are you going?" Mako asked his wife.

"Getting out." Korra shot back, a little fed up with everything and feeling no change in her body at all. "Walking."

"I'll drive you to your apartment." Asami offered, leaning over the door. "Are you sure you should be walking so far?" She tried to ask, but Mako made a motion for her to shush.

"Walking was on the list, we'll take it slow." He looked at his frowning wife. "Thanks for coming to dinner."

"Thanks for the invite." Asami lowered her goggles. "I'll see you later; call me when the baby's coming!" She grinned before flooring it, her car out of sight in minutes.

"Are you sure you don't want to come up for a second?" Bolin asked with a wince. "Rest up before the walk home?"

The two mile walk home that Korra should not do pregnant. Mako had to bite his tongue to keep himself from saying it out loud. She'd kill him if she knew he was trying to 'mom' her again.

"I don't know, do you have castor oil?" Korra had crossed her arms and was glancing down the dark sidewalk lit only by dim streetlights. Bolin lived in a fairly nice area, but even nice areas had thieves and murderers wanting to prey on a pregnant woman. At least Mako could protect them.

"I don't think so? My neighbor might, is that something a family would need?" Bolin rubbed his head. "Come up for a cup of tea and I'll ask her."

**3. Castor Oil or Raspberry Tea**

"She had some!" Bolin came back into his apartment with a bottle in his hand. "It's for constipation, apparently."

"Ew." Korra frowned. "Then why would it help induce labor?"

"I don't know, she said to take only a little otherwise you'll throw up." Bolin winced as Korra looked at him in horror.

"Oh no, I'm not taking that, no." Korra shook her head. "He can stay in there forever for all I care, I'm not taking that." She wrinkled her nose and shook her head.

"We'll just have the tea then." Mako laughed uneasily.

"Oh, my neighbor said raspberry tea may help." Bolin offered. "I actually have some." He moved for the kitchen and brought out the small box of tea while the water boiled.

"What was left?" Korra frowned at her husband.

"Walking, acupuncture and acupressure, massages, and, well, sex." Mako grinned when she rolled her eyes. "It's the top option, don't rule it out."

"What was the other sex related one?" Korra frowned at him, letting out a giggle when he flushed red. "That bad?"

"Just, bluntly put." Mako shuddered a little. "Then evening primrose oil is supposed to help, those are tablets we can grab at the store while we're walking home."

"Alright." Korra nodded and smiled as Bolin brought over the tea.

"Bottoms up." He grinned and held up his glass. "To my niece or nephew, may you be born and stop tormenting your mother!"

"Amen." Korra laughed and sipped her tea, shuddering at the flavor. "Oh not my favorite flavor." She shook her head as Mako shrugged.

"It's not bad." He looked up at his brother. "But I know you don't like fruity teas, who's it for?" He grinned and Bolin just shook his head.

"I'm not telling." He grinned. "If it becomes something, I'll tell you."

"Having her tea in your apartment is something." Mako teased back and munched on the few cookies Bolin had unearthed form somewhere in his apartment. Pabu was munching on one in his own little chair, lying on his back and nibbling at it to his little heart's content. They only stayed until their tea was done as it was getting darker quickly, and Mako didn't want to walk all the way back to their apartment in the dead of night.

**4. Walking**

"Are you alright?"

"For the seventh time, yes I counted, I'm fine." Korra huffed at him, but squeezed his hand to comfort him. "It's been what, a half a mile? I'm fine, Mako, the store is right there." She pointed to the lit up drug store, one of the few in the city that was trying the new thing of being up all night.

"I know, I'm just worried about you." Mako leaned in a little. "I kind of like you."

"You better." Korra rubbed her hand over her stomach and shook her head. She was feeling more or less the same as she had all week. Just tired, sick of being pregnant and achy. Mako helped her into the store and she followed him while he asked the pharmacist for the information about the evening primrose oil. They turned out to be pills that could help her go into labor, but they worked better long term.

"Well that's annoying." Mako frowned at the small bottle they'd walked out with.

"Doesn't hurt to try, right?" Korra sighed and rubbed her temples. "Let's just get home, ok?"

"Sure." Mako laced his fingers through hers again and they trekked home the fastest way Mako knew, which meant cutting through a few buildings to get to theirs. By the time they made it to the lobby of their apartment, Mako had his arm around her waist, holding her up as they climbed the stairs.

**5. Evening Primrose Oil**

"Korra." Mako laid her on their bed, but his wife was nearly asleep. "Take the pill before you sleep, ok?"

"I don't want to, I'm tired." Korra muttered, not bothering to open her eyes.

"Take the pill, he said they're best at night and then you can sleep." Mako rubbed her chin until her jaw dropped.

"Alright." Korra frowned and sat up long enough for Mako to get the pill in her mouth and bring a cup of water up to her lips. She swallowed and fell back onto her pillow and slipped back to sleep almost instantly.

Which left her husband to pull her pants and shoes off to ensure she'd sleep easier than if she was wearing them. He'd try to get her chest wrappings off, but she'd kick his butt if he woke her up, especially right now, so they'd stay on tonight. He glanced at the bottle of pills and set them on her bedside table. Take them before bed every night, and the baby would come.

If the baby didn't come in the next few days _he _was going to lose his mind.

Tired, he stripped off his clothes and climbed into the bed with her, sleeping next to her instead of around her as he'd prefer. With the extra person inside her, her body temperature had skyrocketed, meaning she didn't like sheets and she didn't want to spoon.

And the baby didn't let her sleep much. "Mako." She woke him early. "Do you work today?"

"Limited hours, why?" He stretched his back out. That was the benefit of having a pregnant wife, his hours were cut to give him time to take care of her a little more, so he'd be able to see her earlier that night.

"I'm going to go to Air Temple Island." Korra determined. "For the other stuff, try the acupuncture." She sighed.

"Alright, I'll take you over before I go to work."

**6. Acupuncture**

"Just breathe, Avatar Korra." The air acolyte asked her and she tried to calm down, but the knowledge that this person was going to stick needles into her skin was unnerving.

"Just, it's not going to hurt, right?" She frowned.

"No, not at all." The acolyte picked up the needle and brought it closer and closer to her forehead. She bit her lip while he put them in. "You're supposed to try and relax."

"I can't relax." Korra crossed her eyes to look at the needles in her skin. "Take them out, please, just stop."

"Alright." The acolyte sighed and removed them, letting her sit up and rub her belly before she slid off of the table and back outside and toward the building Tenzin's family lived in.

"Pema." Korra moaned as she saw the woman folding laundry. "I'm so pregnant."

"Oh, you're fine." Pema laughed. "I did it four times, remember."

"Were you overdue?"

"Only with Ikki." Pema smiled at her. "I just waited it out though; I had Jinora to occupy me."

"I just want him in my arms, to hold him." Korra sighed and rubbed her stomach. "I've been trying everything, spicy foods, walking, car rides." She sighed heavily.

"Did you try sex?"

"What?" Korra's head flew up and she stared at the woman who'd been like a second mother to her since she'd lived in Republic City. "No, please don't tell me."

"I won't, but I will say it helps." Pema laughed when the younger woman covered her face. "What else were you going to try?"

"The only ones left were acupressure, massage, sex, and the one Mako won't tell me what it was." She frowned. "He hid the pamphlet from me."

"Well, the acupressure may help."

"Let me guess, someone here can do it?" Korra smiled at Pema as she nodded.

"Yes, I'll go find her."

"It's not like the acupuncture, right?" Korra frowned. "I didn't like the needles, I don't like them."

"Oh no, it's pressure on specific points in your body." Pema laughed and left the room, leaving Korra to herself for a minute.

**7. Acupressure**

And a few minutes later she was lying on her side again, this time with a female air acolyte poking at her back and feet trying to put pressure on certain parts of her body. It was like a massage gone wrong, it felt too rough, too pointed. At least this one she felt like she could finish out before walking back to her old room and falling into her bed face first.

"Feeling alright?" Mako's voice cut into her mind and she rolled over and blinked.

"I think I fell asleep." She rubbed her eyes. "Yeah, I did." A big yawn broke through her. "Can we stay here tonight, I'm too tired."

"Sure." Mako laughed and kissed her forehead. "I'll go grab some things, be back in an hour or so."

"Right." Korra muttered.

"How'd your day go?"

"Horrible." She muttered. "Acupuncture needles stressed me out, the pressure one hurts." She rolled her shoulders. "I'm sore."

"I'm sorry." Mako frowned and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I'll be right back." He leaned in and gave her a kiss before he left again. He felt bad leaving his heavily pregnant wife alone, so he rushed, grabbing the things she'd need if she had the baby. He made it back in time for dinner and sat with her at the table as Pema served them something a little spicier than usual before shooing the two of them off to bed.

"I want to sleep." Korra sighed.

"What about massage?" Mako pressed. "I'll massage your stomach and you just lay there, alright?"

"Alright." Korra smiled at him and pulled off her shirt before she fell onto the bed, curling up with the pillow tucked against her chest, leaving her stomach bare.

**8. Massage**

Mako grabbed some lotion from Korra's bag and spread it on her belly before he started to slowly massage the skin of her belly, rubbing over the top and down to the bottom, making it to her hips and then starting to massage her back. Korra smiled and started to finally relax after the stress of her supposed help her, but this was so much better. Just the fact Mako was the one focusing on relieving her tension, trying to relax all of her muscles. He was massaging her back and her shoulders, rubbing down her things to her swollen calves and her feet.

"Mako." Korra mumbled sleepily, smiling at him as he massaged her sides again.

"Yeah?" He smiled back, pleased he'd been able to help her at least a little.

"What's the one you won't tell me?"

"No." Mako flushed and shook his head, rubbing her back with his hands.

"Mako." Korra moaned his name a little. "Please, I'm pregnant here, just tell me."

"You know, when you have him, you can't use that as an excuse anymore." Mako murmured, obviously trying to distract her from her goal.

"I can say I just had a baby." Korra grinned down at him. "Seriously, please."

"Oh, fine." Mako sighed heavily. "It was just… it said…" He started to stutter when he explained it. "Can I just show you?"

"Sure." Korra grinned.

"Lay on your back." He sighed and Korra complied, extremely curious now.

**9. Stimulation**

"Mako?" Korra frowned when he leaned toward her, but he didn't meet her lips for a kiss, instead he pressed his lips to her chest and scattered soft kisses down until his mouth closed over the tip of one breast. "Oh." She breathed out as her hand landed on the back of his head while his other hand touched her other one. "Oh this isn't bad."

"You said no sex." Mako murmured as he looked up at her with a grin.

"I apparently didn't know what I was talking about." Korra let out a low chuckle. "This I don't mind."

"Alright." He pressed kisses to the valley between her breasts before moving to the other, his hand attending to the one he'd abandoned. Korra just let herself relax and her head tipped back onto the pillow. The way he was making her feel hadn't happened in so long she just felt so calm and relaxed and this, this should've happened weeks ago.

"Mako." She rubbed his hair gently.

"Hmm?" He kissed up her neck and grinned at her.

"I love you." She smiled.

"I love you, too." He smiled. "That's all nine."

"There were ten." Korra grinned at him.

"Really?" Mako's brows lifted and nearly disappeared into his ruffled hair.

"Really."

**10. Intercourse**

"Korra, if you're…"

"I'm sure." Korra smiled and leaned up to kiss him. Mako kissed her for a while before moving away to pull off his shirt and slid down on the bed, kissing over her side and down to her hip. He tugged at her pants and pulled them off with her help, smiling at how eager she actually was.

But this wasn't about the act itself, it wasn't about having sex; it was the two of them being together. Intimacy they'd been missing for the weeks she'd been so uncomfortable. It was partly about getting the baby out, but it was also one of the last times they'd be able to be together before they had a screaming infant around. But that was later. This was about the two of them, it was about their relationship.

It was a little bit about feeling good for the first time in so long.

"Oh." Korra breathed and cried out hard against him, gripping his arms where he had them wrapped around her. She shuddered and gripped him while he buried his face into her neck and followed her over the edge. "Oh that was…" She trailed off.

"Was what?" Mako grinned, arranging himself to spoon her, pulling the blankets over the both of them.

"Was better than I thought it would be." Korra laughed as she tried to steady her breathing in his arms. "I don't exactly feel sexy right now."

"Oh you are." Mako assured her and kissed the skin behind her ear. "Sexiest woman I've ever known."

"Flatterer." Her voice said she was annoyed, but there was a grin plastered on her face. "I think I can wait for him now." She sighed.

"We do all that and now you want to wait?" Mako laughed and she laughed.

"No, I mean we've done all we can, right?" She relaxed against him. "Just some sleep now." A big yawn escaped her before she tucked a pillow into her arms and drifted off to sleep. Mako just grinned and rested his head behind hers to sleep.

He woke up an hour later to the oddest feeling on his leg. He moved away from his wife and felt the liquid over his legs and checked the sheets. They were wet? What had… "Korra." He touched her shoulder and shook her lightly to wake her up.

"No, sleep." Korra muttered at him and tried to roll over.

"Korra, I think your water broke."

"My what?" Mind blurry with sleep, Korra frowned at him. "Oh. Oh!" She sat up and felt the sheets herself. "Oh, I think it did."

"How do you feel?" Mako frowned at her and she frowned at the wall. "Achy, but I've been achy all week."

"Have you been having contractions all week?" Mako stared at her.

"Are those contractions?" Korra looked up at him with wide blue eyes.

"I'll get Pema." Mako pulled on pants, handed his wife a shirt and threw his on while he jogged for Tenzin and Pema's room, knocking on the door lightly. Pema wrapped herself in a robe while following Mako back to the room where Korra was breathing oddly. The older woman confirmed Korra was now in labor and also commented that the aches Korra had been experiencing all week had probably been the beginning of her labor.

Making all the effort they put into encouraging their baby to come had been pretty much pointless.

"Don't say it." Korra pointed at her husband in warning as Pema helped her lay back on a pile of pillows. "Don't even."

"I won't." Mako laughed and leaned in, pressing a kiss to her mouth. "Let's just get him out."

"Oh great." Korra muttered and squeezed his hand tightly as another contraction hit her.

It took hours until things seemed to change. Her body knew what to do and with some coaching from Pema and the other acolytes, she managed to push her tiny son into the world. His screams were rewarding, seeing his tiny red body squalling on her chest was rewarding. She felt so good; the past few days were forgotten in a haze of love and pure joy for the tiny baby screaming.

"Mako." She breathed and her husband smiled through the tears on his face. Only then did she realize she was crying herself. "He's beautiful." Her hand landed on their baby's back, rubbing through the blanket the midwives had wrapped around him.

"He is." Mako murmured and pressed his forehead to the side of her head and smiled. The baby was tiny, screaming, and perfect.

Completely worth the effort.


End file.
